Rafa Nadal moved within one Grand Slam title of tying Roger Federer’s all-time mark of 20 on Sunday but even after adding a fourth US Open to his collection the Spaniard said it was his love of the game, not records, that motivates him.

Diego Schwartzman may have been the smallest player in 25 years to reach the US Open quarter-finals but gave Rafa Nadal a big fight and forced the Spaniard to grind out a 6-4 7-5 6-2 win on Wednesday to reach the last four at Flushing Meadows.

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios has branded Rafa Nadal a sore loser, the Spaniard’s uncle Toni an “idiot” and said world number one Novak Djokovic has a “sick obsession” with being liked in a podcast certain to ruffle feathers ahead of the French Open.

Having annoyed Rafa Nadal with an underarm serve at Acapulco, Nick Kyrgios doubled down with the tactic to win two points against hapless Serb Dusan Lajovic at the Miami Open and fire up a timeworn debate between modern fans and purists.

Nick Kyrgios overcame a bout of nausea, a stiff back and saved three match points on the way to stunning top seed Rafa Nadal 3-6 7-6(2) 7-6(6) in the second round of the Acapulco International in Mexico on Wednesday.